The Official Nintendo Magazine took part in a Q&A with some readers over the past few days. We’ve posted some of the information below, but you can check out all of the responses here. Thanks to ONM for sending us this news tip!
I’d like to know whether there are any modes apart from the main game, such as mini-games…
There are three modes. The main game itself (which can be played on either single-player or multiplayer modes), Free For All Mode and Coin Battle mode.
If playing with only two players, can you play as Toad?
Player two can play as Toad but Player one will always be Mario. Any other players who join can choose from Luigi or one of the two Toads.
Are the power-ups awesome and are there more than those we already know about?
They are indeed awesome (especially the Penguin and Propeller suits), but there aren’t any more than the ones we already know about. The Penguin suit’s awesome because you can throw ice, you can slide on your belly and, if you fall into water while wearing it, you can control the direction you swim in with the D-Pad just like the Frog Suit in Super Mario Bros 3.
What are the themes of each world?
I can’t spoil too many, but World 1 is the normal grassy overworld, World 2 is a desert world, World 3 is a snow world. You will have seen beach and forest levels too in recent screens but I don’t want to reveal too many details or I’ll lose my job. And it’s a nice job!
Would you say it’s easier or harder than past Mario Bros. games?
I’d say it’s easier than the end of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Lost Levels, and much harder than Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario. Bros. on DS. I’d put it on a par with Super Mario World.
Are the visuals anything to shout about?
Absolutely. People have already commented on my review, wondering why I said it “looks and sounds fantastic”. You really have to see this game in action (and I’m not just talking internet videos) before you can appreciate all the tiny details like facial expressions and flowers wafting as Mario runs by them. There are loads of really subtle things that make it clear how much work has gone into the game. When Mario stands on a platform that rotates, instead of him rotating with it he stays upright and his knees bend more as the slope gets steeper, as if he’s trying to keep his footing. Little things like that look great in motion.
How many hours will it take to finish for a person who is fairly decent at platformers?
It took me around six hours to complete, but that was blitzing through it and not collecting the Star Coins. That will easily add another seven or eight hours to the proceedings, because you’ll obviously have to play through most of the levels again and some of the coins are in really awkward positions this time.
Can you continue to ride Yoshi after you’ve completed a level?
Frustratingly, no you can’t. When you finish a level with Yoshi, Mario jumps off and Yoshi waves at him as he runs away. This means you can only play as Yoshi on the handful of Yoshi levels in the game, which is a shame.
What’s the soundtrack like?
I love it. It’s a mixture of remixed New Super Mario Bros DS tracks, some old-school SMB and SMB3 tracks and some new stuff. The new track for the first underwater stage is one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a modern Mario game. It’s right up there with some of the Galaxy stuff. Loved it.
Does riding on Yoshi add the cool drums in the background like in Super Mario World?
Yes!
I would really like to see the original Super Mario Bros. tunes return to this game, as I love them and would love to hum along to the tunes like I used to! Please tell me there are because that was one of the biggest let-downs (for me) of the DS version.
There’s some old stuff in there. The main Super Mario Bros. theme plays in the Mushroom Houses dotted throughout the maps, and there are a few Super Mario Bros. 3 themes in there too.
Do any of the first items like the Mega Mushroom and stuff return? I hope so!
The Mega Mushroom isn’t in it, but the Mini Mushroom’s back. It only gets used in one or two stages though.
Are the bosses more challenging?
The initial ones are fairly simple but there are some real nightmares near the end of the game.
Does it ever feel like you’re being duped into buying a slightly shinier DS game, or does it manage to pull off Four Swords’ trick of creating an entirely new gaming experience?
There’s no trick here. While the engine may be similar to that of the DS game, there’s no doubt this is a completely new game. It’s the equivalent of The Lost Levels to the original Super Mario Bros., albeit with much better graphics.
